Has your dog or cat ever had a case of vomiting or diarrhea? Maybe stomach trouble or other digestion problems? Either chronically or acutely?

Whatever the reason for that digestion upset, when your dog or cat does have that trouble he or she will get an overgrowth of the wrong, abnormal bacteria. We will call this “bad” bacteria. If this goes unhandled and untreated, expect your pet to have future medical problems due to the continuous growth of that “bad” bacteria.

Of course, any treatment for your pet is very specific to your pet’s case. However, it is quite common that the vet will prescribe a probiotic to assist with your dog’s or cat’s digestion issues. What the correct probiotic does is this: It’s like sending an army into your pet to kill all of the “bad” bacteria that has grown AND replaces it with the “good” bacteria.

Probiotics are given as a prescription specifically for your pet. There are different types of probiotics so it is important your pet gets the right one. Home “remedies” such as yogurt for your pet do not accomplish the same end result. It just isn’t the correct replacement of “good” bacteria your pet needs and doesn’t fully handle the problem.

Certain cases will require an antibiotic as well as a probiotic. Depending on the severity of the case, an antibiotic is used to kill off “bad” bacteria. The antibiotic itself does not replace itself with “good” bacteria. That is why a probiotic would also be prescribed because it does replace itself.

If you notice your pet having digestive trouble, ask Dr. Adney about probiotics. They will assist your pet in becoming more comfortable and put you at ease, knowing that your pet is healthier…and your floors will be cleaner!

Having plants in your home and around the house makes for a beautiful picture. Bright, beautiful colors and smells of blooming flowers add to the decor and liveliness of your home. If you have pets, particularly dogs or cats, there are some plants you need to be aware of and keep out of reach from your pet. By doing so, you will not only save visits to the vet, but in some cases save your pet’s life.

For those of you who have dogs or cats who tend to chew on your floor plants as they walk by, here are some common toxic plants and their symptoms you should know:

Poinsettia: can cause irritation to your dog or cats mouth and can induce vomiting.

A variety or Lilies: Peace Lily, Giant Dracaena or Palm Lily, Calla Lily, Lily of the Valley, Amaryllis, Clivia Lily can cause severe irritation and swelling of oral tissues and the GI tract. They can induce vomiting and diarrhea, salvation and low blood pressure. It is recommended that you keep these beautiful plants out of reach of any dog or cat.

Black Walnuts: If you have a walnut tree in your yard and the walnuts drop, the walnuts themselves are not poisonous at that time. They do become poisonous when they start to decompose and grow mold. If your dog ingests these, the walnuts can induce seizures. The simple remedy is to rake them up routinely or just stay away from them if you are in a park for a walk.

Azalea: These are highly toxic. They are mostly found outside in landscaping. If your pet ingests these, there are serious side effects such as loss of appetite, weakness, paralysis and in some cases, coma or death.

Daffodils: The most toxic part of this plant is the bulb. However, if these are at all ingested expect vomiting, diarrhea and possible heart problems.

Ivy: This plant is also poisonous. Ingesting this plant gives vomiting and diarrhea, stomach pains and salvation.

Click here for a complete list of other toxic plants. It includes pictures.

If your pet has any of the named symptoms or you know your dog or cat ingested a toxic plant, call us right away for immediate treatment.

It’s getting to be that time of year…80 degrees and the dogs want to play!

There are many dog beaches and dog parks for you and your pet to enjoy. Exercise for your dog, allowing him to stretch his legs and run around is good for him. Here are some parks we found that are in the area. We recommend them. Spend a couple hours outdoors, get to meet some new friends and have a good time!

Chesnut Park Paw Playground2200 East Lake RoadPalm Harbor, FL

This dog park has fenced in areas where your dog can run free and not require to be leashed. The park includes stations where your dog can drink and cool off!

Crest Lake Dog Park201 Glenwood Ave.Clearwater, FL

This dog park has three gated areas allowing you to unleash your pet into the play areas that are over an acre in size! Each area has benches, the park provides doggy-bathroom supplies, the park includes stations where your dog can drink and cool off and they have pads for you to wash your dog’s paws so he is all clean when you are ready to leave.

Enterprise Dog Park2640 Enterprise Road EastClearwater, FL 33761

There were many reviews online about this park–one included that this park was the Disney World of Dog Parks. It would be worth checking out! A little more about this park is that they have 2 fenced in areas where your dog can play leash-free. One area even has an exercise course for your dog. This park also provides doggy-bags and trash receptacles. They provide watering stations and hoses to clean your dog off before you get back in the car.

Well, seeing that there was just a holiday there may be some chocolate bunnies around the house, chocolate eggs, chocolate cookies….

It’s commonly understood that chocolate is poisonous to your dog. This is true information. But, did you know that certain types of chocolate are more toxic than other types?

Generally speaking, the more bitter and darker the chocolate your dog finds, the greater the problems.

What makes chocolate so poisonous for your dog is that it contains caffeine and theobromine. When your dog eats this combination, it can lead to different medical problems later. It can even be fatal.

Different types of chocolate have different levels of the caffeine/theobromine combination. Baker’s Chocolate has the highest combination and is the most fatal if eaten. Milk Chocolate and Semi-Sweet Chocolate are both still dangerous for your dog but have lower levels of caffeine/theobromine. Any and all chocolate is highly toxic for any dog.

Some symptoms you should know if your dog sneakily found some chocolate are:

Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fever
Siezures
Increased heart rate

If you think your dog may have eaten chocolate and is exhibiting symptoms, Dr. Adney will perform tests to know if that is in fact what happened. He will do a complete physical exam and if necessary, he will do a blood test and will also take certain tests on the heart to ensure there is nothing abnormal.

Parvo, or Canine Parvovirus is a very serious and contagious disease in dogs.

To give you a little information about it, it is spread through fecal matter. Your dog can even be playing in a park or walking down the sidewalk with you and step in leftover fecal matter. Later he may start licking his paws and unfortunately eat some of it. This is how the disease is transmitted. Your dog will get the disease if any infected fecal matter comes into contact with him or her orally.

Symptoms of your dog having this disease are depression, diarrhea and vomiting. They can even have high fevers.

Dr. Adney can test your dog for having this deadly disease by getting a stool sample.

If your dog does have Parvo, it can be treated. It will require top-quality, intensive care. For this reason, in most cases your dog will be required to stay at the clinic so he or she can be monitored. Your dog will need fluids to correct the dehydration, help with controlling the vomiting, etc.

There are preventative steps you can take to ensure your dog does not get this horrible disease. If you have a puppy, getting him the vaccinations that he needs routinely while his immune system builds up will prevent most chances of infection. You can also make an appointment with one of our staff. The Parvo vaccination is very important. We can check your dog’s records to see when his last one was and if it’s time for a new one.

We are a low-cost vaccination clinic. We do this so you can get your family member what they need, while still giving top-quality care. Please come in or make an appointment for this very important preventative step.